I am an evil giraffe. Who no longer blogs about politics.

Here is something that needs to be pointed out (as Hot Air did): this poll on the public reaction to the Obama’s administration’s attack on freedom of conscience is skewed toward the liberal position in at least two ways. First, it polls adults, which traditionally skews things a couple points towards the Democrats; second, it took place after the administration/mainstream media blitz touting Obama’s compromise. And said poll still shows a majority of respondents opposed to the Obama administration requiring religious organizations from funding procedures that violate those organizations’ religious beliefs. 50/44 opposed/for, and anybody out there willing to take a bet on those numbers changing in the administration’s favor when it comes to likely voters? Or even registered ones? Actually, we already know; Rasmussen polled likely voters, and came up with 50/39 opposed/for. Pew polled adults, but also polled Catholics (48/44 and 55/39 for exempting religious organizations, respectively).

CNN is left scratching its metaphorical head at its own results, given that the poll results also show extremely broad support (81/17 for/against) for birth control among Americans, including American Catholics (77/22). Speaking as somebody who himself in opposition to the Church on this, let me explain the divergence between the two questions: yes, I and many other American Roman Catholics are functional if not formal heretics of the Church* over contraception. We are, in fact, engaged in a long-term and probably ultimately unresolvable conflict over the doctrine involved.

BUT WE DID NOT ASK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ‘HELP’ IN THIS. This is between us, and Holy Mother Church. Barack Obama can stay out of it. He will not, because the man is incapable of [not] incompetently trying to meddle in any issue of American life that offends his rather provincial and insular urban liberal academic worldview; or, as one of my colleagues has privately noted, the current administration is likely being deliberately obtuse on this point. Fortunately, as this poll suggests, Obama’s refusal to allow for freedom of conscience may be causing the chickens to, as they say, come home to roost…

PS: Another colleague had privately noted that various and sundry Leftists are upset with this poll because it doesn’t go out of its way to frame the question in a fashion that is most suitable for the long-term goals of various and sundry Leftists. If this complaint reminds you of one that was desperately used to try to drum up support for Obamacare, that’s because it is fairly close. Note that it didn’t work that time, either.

3 Comments

And of course all such will be ignored, because at root the issue has nothing to do with freedom of conscience, religious or otherwise. This is Obama & Co. reminding the American Church hierarchy that they are owned, and they’d better step’n’fetchit pretty smartly or feel the lash.

Barry needs a new hat. Something tall and pointed, white with tasteful gold overlays, would be about right, don’t you think?